fyi. A.Holberg Socialist Appeal schrieb: > What's new at In Defence of Marxism > http://www.marxist.com > > Thursday, December 14, 2000 > > > Special on Hungary > > We are publishing three historical articles on the 1956 Hungarian > workers' uprising. One of them is an open letter to the ranks of the > British Communist Party published in 1956 by Ted Grant. Together with > these articles we are publishing two more recent articles on the > situation in Hungary in the 1990s. These articles should be read together > with: 'Hungary: the darker side of capitalist restoration' (by Julianna > Grant, Budapest, June 2000) at > <http://www.marxist.com/Europe/hungary600.html> and 'The Forgotten > Revolution' on the Hungarian Soviet Republic of 1919 (by Alan Woods, > November 12, 1979) at <http://www.marxist.com/History/hungary1919.html> > > > - Hungary 1956 and the Political Revolution > http://www.marxist.com/History/hungary1956_86.html > > We are reproducing an article first published in October 1986, the 30th > anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian workers' uprising against Stalinist > oppression. Even though its outcome was a tragic defeat, in which at > least 20,000 Hungarian workers were killed and countless others injured, > imprisoned and forced into hiding or exile, it nevertheless was > undoubtedly the most significant pointer to future developments in the > Stalinist states since the consolidation of the bureaucracy around Stalin > in the 1920s. It was the most vivid confirmation of the perspectives of > Trotsky, that the workers under Stalinist dictatorship, far from > accepting their conditions or demanding a return to capitalism, would > move in a political revolution to take power into their own hands. The > tremendously inspiring events of the Hungarian October are full of > lessons for the workers of Eastern Europe and the whole world. > > > - Hungarian revolution 1956, forty years on > http://www.marxist.com/History/hungary1956_96.html > > We are republishing this article on the 1956 Hungarian revolution, first > published on the 40th anniversary in Socialist Appeal issue 45, October > 1996. That movement of the Hungarian masses signified the culmination of > the growing discontent evident in Eastern Europe at the time. Eastern > Europe has seen turbulence in its history for centuries, our present > epoch being no exception. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the > attempt to re-establish capitalism in the region, millions are coming to > ask the crucial question of our time: if Stalinism was a hated and > bankrupt system but the move towards capitalism leaves thousands in > poverty, unemployment and hopelessness, is there a social system that can > provide a job, a house and hope for the future - and if there is one, how > can we achieve it? The masses of Eastern Europe - and Hungarians in > particular - could do no better than look at what happened in 1956 in > giving them the ideas and a direction to follow. To quote Leslie Bain, a > journalist and eyewitness of the events of 1956: "No event in recent > history has been so much lied about, distorted and besmirched as the > Hungarian Revolution". (by Julianna Grant, October 1996) > > > - Hungary and the Crisis in the Communist Party > http://www.marxist.com/History/hungary1956_tedgrant.html > > The events that unfolded towards the end of 1956 in Hungary shook all the > Communist Parties of the world. The official line of the Communist > Parties was that what was taking place in Hungary was a Fascist > counter-revolution! Not all the ranks of the CPs were fooled. Many could > see that the workers of Hungary had risen up against the bureaucratic > elite in power. This could be no counter-revolution. Thus many rank and > file members of the Communist Parties questioned the official party > interpretation of events. In 1957 alone the Italian Communist Party lost > 300,000 members as a result of the Hungarian events. In Britain the > Communist Party of Great Britain was also affected. It was in order to > intervene in the debates taking place in the British CP that Ted Grant > wrote an open letter at the end of 1956, that we publish here below. (by > Ted Grant, November 1956) > > > - Hungary's Bitter Experience of Capitalism > http://www.marxist.com/Europe/capitalism_in_hungary94.html > > We are republishing this article on the effects of the transition to > capitalism in Hungary first published in Socialist Appeal issue 20, March > 1994. "A visit to Budapest holds many promises. The general feel of the > place was different from anything experienced before. Miles and miles of > closed factories greeted me as I travelled into Budapest. The contrast in > downtown Budapest could not have been sharper. Unending traffic, with as > many Mercedes limousines and BMW's as Wartburgs, Ladas and Trabants; the > swish, but very expensive shops and well dressed shoppers made me feel I > had risen out of the Metro into a different world. The advent of > capitalism has produced a polarisation of the population in terms of > appearance, mood, wealth and lifestyle. A small, but significant section > of people were living very well, but the vast majority, especially those > in some country areas, where wholesale factory closures removed the sole > employer, were sinking into poverty, unemployment and hopelessness. This > was definitely not the great dream many had at the fall of the Berlin > Wall and after the last election, when a right-of-centre coalition of the > Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) and the Smallholders Party was elected > in Hungary In three years most Hungarians have learned by bitter > experience that capitalism has no answers to Hungary's economic and > political troubles." (by Julianna Grant, March 1994) > > > - Hungary turns to former 'Communists': > Hungary's move towards capitalism has produced a new political, economic > and social crisis > http://www.marxist.com/Europe/hungary94stalinists_return.html > > We are republishing this article on the electoral victory of the former > Stalinists in Hungary in 1994, first published in Socialist Appeal, issue > 23, July 1994. Following the trend of much of Eastern Europe Hungary in > 1994 placed back in power the leaders and parties it had rejected just > five years earlier. This article explains the background to the > Socialists' victory. (by John Gandy, July 1994) > > > ------------------------------------------------------ > If you would like to be informed by email of new additions to the In > Defence of Marxism web site send us an email to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] with "subscribe What's new" as the message > body. If you want to be removed from this list send a message to the same > address with "unsubscribe" as the body of the message. > ------------------------------------------------------ > > Yours in solidarity, > > Socialist Appeal's "In Defence of Marxism" web site > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://www.marxist.com > http://www.socialist.net > PO Box 2626 > London N1 7SQ > Britain _______________________________________________ Leninist-International mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.wwpublish.com/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international
